AL & Irene's Barbeque House

Barbecue · Cedar Rapids, IA

Barbecue

Location & contact

Address
2020 North Towne Lane Northeast
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
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Hours
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Menu
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Website
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Map loads on tap/scroll 2020 North Towne Lane Northeast, Cedar Rapids · 42.03290, -91.66950

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Diner reviews of AL & Irene's Barbeque House

3.0
10 rated reviews
5★ 3
4★ 1
3★ 2
2★ 1
1★ 3
A diner from Marion, IA Jul 12, 2011
Complete disgust with the establishment. I am only giving 1 star because the site requires me to, otherwise it would be 0 stars. This does not even qualify as BBQ!

I tried Al & Irene's BBQ house based on a living social deal and word of mouth that it was good, but I can guarantee we (my family)
WILL NEVER be back!!!

Date of Visit: 7/12/2011

Why you ask...where do I start:

1) The food was tasteless, portions were VERY SMALL. There was hardly any meat on the sandwhich and just a little BBQ sauce. I had baked beans that were very tasteless as well.

2) I complained to the waitress about the overcooked fries, all she could say was "That is how they normally look,
ask at the register for a discount!" The service from the waitress was not good either!

3) So from above, I did complain at the counter to which in my utter amazement they did NOTHING!
I expressed at the counter that I would NEVER be back, and they really did not seem to care...and futhurmore just told me
since I was using a living social deal, I was already getting a discount.
That means I paid about $25 total (with the $10 I paid to living social), for a family of 4 and the food was not even worth close to that!!! I did also complain about the portions and all I was told is that we ordered off the lunch menu...that should not matter...especially since they add $1 to the prices for the evening time (after 3PM)!

We have heard good things in the past with Al & Irenes and wanted to try it, boy was that dead wrong. I am sorely disappointed and We will
NOT be back and would not recommended this establishment to ANYONE! The reason for this review...mostly because they would not even work with me after I complained. WHAT KIND OF SERVICE IS THAT???

P.S. If you need great BBQ in Cedar Rapids, BBQ This on Boyson road is the place!!
A diner from Cedar Rapids Jan 9, 2011
I have lived in the Southern United States so I know good barbeque when I taste it. I was looking fo r a good BBQ place in Cedar Rapids, and was told to go to Al and Irene's. Al and Irene's is hands down the worst BBQ I have ever had. I felt betrayed, or like the person who told me to go there was playing a joke on me.

The pork and ribs were horrible, and the sauce tasted like ketchup with salt and pepper added to it. I don't know what's wrong with the people of Cedar Rapids and some of you who are writing great reviews for Al and Irene's, but I wonder if not the owner's themselves writing it.

I guess the only good thing I can say about it is that the place was clean, but that's to be expected from any place. If you're looking for OK BBQ, go to BBQ This. It's not the best I've ever had but I was pleasantly surprised, and it's the best you can get in Cedar Rapids. Do not go to Al and Irene's.
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A diner from ely Jul 31, 2010
the service was bad the meat was tough the bathrooms smelled the prices went up and the portions got smaller since the new owner took over and al isnt there no more with his daughter
A diner from Cedar Rapids, IA Nov 2, 2009
My husband and I love good barbecue. We decided to try Al and Irene's in Cedar Rapids. The staff were friendly, but everyone seemed tired. We ordered rib meals with beans and coleslaw. The meat was as tough, the sauce tasted like tomato paste,the beans were hard and the coleslaw was tasteless. We ate a little, threw the rest out and cut our losses. I think this is the place to go if you love barbecue, simply because it is called barbecue. But if you want delicious barbecue, I'd suggest you do some research for the area. I've had much better tasting barbecue than this many times in my lifetime.
A diner from Goshen Indiana Oct 7, 2008
I eat @ A & I everytime I travel to IC/CR area from Indiana.
A diner from waterloo, IA Mar 17, 2007
i read about al and irenes, and was pretty fired up about going there to try the ribs. we were there right at 11.00 am opening. iwalked in and asked if they were open yet, and in the back ground someone said you got in the door didnt you, i fiqured that this was the rude person i read about. it turned out she was actually a very friendly waitress. i was disappointed in the ribs, they were a little tough, my wife wasn,t satisfied with her pulled pork sandwich, they poured bbq sauce over the top of it, turned out to be a sponge more or less, had to eat with a fork. might just have to give it a try later in the day when maybe al might be in.
A diner from Iowa City, IA Feb 14, 2007
We have been regular's of this "rib joint" since it opened in CR as Jim's Rib Haven. This is the best BBQ we have ever had! WE try BBQ when we travel, and ALWAYS compare it to Al and Irene's. A&I's is always the winner. Hands Down. And...remember, this is a casual place, nuttin fancy! But so dern good!
A diner from Quad Cities USA Jul 27, 2006
When you find this little place off the main strip you'll be pleasantly surprised. The food is excellent and their sauce is the best around. If you're in a rush for lunch don't go there pressed for time cause the place is jammed packed. Their meats are Hickory Smoked to perfection and when you put that sauce on it oh my goodness. TOTALY AWESOME
A diner from Cedar Rapids Iowa May 19, 2006
There sauce is some of the best there is There meats are well prepared and smoked to a very high standard The service is slow and the servers are rude The atmosephere is sparce but clean I would eat there on a regular basis if the service were better
A diner from Ely, IA Apr 19, 2005
Family owned. Excellent cuts of meat smoked to perfection. Choice of two homemade sauces: Mild and Hot. The facility is nothing fancy to look at, but then, this is what a casual B-B-Q house should be.

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